What should I look for in a club?
Kickboxing Clubs can differ slightly from one another, but there is a strict code, that all Coaches should hold instructor insurance, be DBS checked, have basic First Aid training and be educated in Safeguarding. When you visit a club, always make sure that you tell the instructor if you have any special needs, difficulties or joint problems.
What do I need to wear to my first lesson?
Wear something loose – like jogging bottoms, T-shirt and trainers. Once you join a club, your instructor will be able to help you with what uniform is best to wear.
What safety equipment should I have?
No equipment is necessary to start practicing Kickboxing. In most instances, you will be taught to punch and kick whilst standing in one spot. Once you mastered this without harming yourself i.e., kicking correctly to reduce the chance of hurting your toes, or punching correctly to reduce the chance or hurting your fist, your instructor will move you onto the sparring.
Once you have decided that you would like to compete or spar in the classes, you will need to wear safety equipment. There are many brands of this and your instructor will be able to advise you on the type and size that you will require. WAKO has links with Top Ten and Adidas. Any equipment used should be in safe working order, and only used by appropriate groups. Students who need glasses should wear `Sportssafe` type, and not be allowed to spar without these or suitable contact lenses. No jewellery should be worn, and nails should be short.
To spar, you will need the following:
- Headguard
- Mouth Guard
- Chest Guard (for women)
- 10oz Boxing Gloves (Light Contact or Ring Sports)
- Open Hand Gloves (for Points Fighting)
- Groin Guard
- Shin Pads
- Foot Pads that cover the toes and heal
For a full list of equipment needs, please follow this link: https://wakogb.com/wako-rules-equipment/
What can I expect in my class?
Warm-up
The term `warm-up` is often used to describe all the activity which takes place prior to the actual Kickboxing training. Here, the term describes specifically the process of increasing the blood circulation prior to stretching. Sustained light exercise increases the blood flow to the working muscles and surrounding areas – an increased blood supply brings more heat which makes the muscles and soft tissues more elastic, and therefore less prone to injury. It also brings more oxygen and nutrients and switches the metabolism to a more efficient system of generating the amount of energy which is required for a period of intense and dynamic activity. In practice, a warm-up should consist of gentle and sustained working of muscles. A gentle jog around the dojo for 3 to 4 minutes is fine, as is gently bouncing on the spot. Both use the calf muscles as the main `pump`, but the shoulders and arms and many other muscles will also come into play. Such exercises are referred to as aerobic, because they demand oxygen for the blood.
Flexibility
Stretched muscles and mobile joints not only prevent injury, but allow greater reach and speed. Safe exercises have been traditionally used by Kickboxers, and most will be readily recognised. Many of them imitate actual techniques. These exercises serve the purpose for which they were designed and evolved admirably, as long as they are done without violent bouncing, with control and without forcing joints out of their natural line and range of movement. In a warm up, dynamic stretching should be used as this will warm-up rather than stretch the muscle/muscle group.
Technical relevant movement patterns (pad/bag work etc), kickboxing conditioning and sparring
N.B. Sparring should only be done whilst wearing the correct safety equipment. Please see above.
Cool Down
The Cool Down’s aim is to return the body to a pre workout state. The key reason is to prevent blood pooling, usually in the legs. If there is excessive pooling in one place, not enough blood returns to the heart causing dizziness, nausea and feinting and in an unfit individual, possibly cardiac complications. Also, the cool down component is to aid in the Maintenance and/or Development of Muscular Flexibility.